Depression has always proven to be a tough illness to tackle, especially when relying solely on conventional antidepressant medications for treatment.
Research, however, has been exploring the ability of psychotherapy to enhance the efficacy of pharmacological depression treatments. These studies have repeatedly proven that psychotherapy or counseling in combination with medication does, in fact, generate better results for depressed patients.
In recent years, ketamine has gained recognition as a highly effective medication for the treatment of depression. In comparison with traditional antidepressant medications, ketamine provides the fastest relief from depression symptoms… and has a higher success rate. Because of this, researchers have looked closely at the potential to combine psychotherapy with ketamine infusions and have determined that this one-two punch can be a powerful treatment approach for sustained improvement and recovery.
Depression is caused, in part, by unhealthy habits of thought and learned patterns of negative behavior. Psychotherapy helps to break this cycle of distorted perception and incorporates productive ways of coping with maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. When it comes to treatment-resistant depression, though, changing one’s thinking patterns is no easy task. This is where ketamine comes into play. Ketamine works by promoting rapid growth of healthy neuronal processes and the formation of synapses—functions which are foundational to learning. By combining psychotherapy with ketamine infusions, a harmonious relationship can develop that promotes not only reduced symptoms of depression, but also new, healthier ways of thinking altogether.
This theory is supported by a study performed at Yale University, which found that the combination of psychotherapy and ketamine infusions provided substantial relief in their test subjects. Ketamine, along with Cognitive Behavior Therapy, a popular form of psychotherapy, helped study participants gain new skills, which helped sustain the positive effects of ketamine infusions.
Contact Vitalitas Denver
Vitalitas Denver is one of few ketamine clinics to address the psychiatric needs of its patients in-house. Our team consists of both psychiatric and anesthesia specialists, allowing us to offer an unprecedented level of integrative care to our patients. If you would like more information on ketamine infusions for the treatment of depression and how we can help incorporate psychiatry into your regimen of ketamine infusions, contact us via the brief form below.
